Those of us who live in areas where rough terrain or vast wilderness areas are present know the physical dangers that these locations hold. All too often the news is filled with stories of unfortunate individuals who have become lost while hiking, camping, hunting or fishing, and ultimately end up dying. The vast areas encountered means that a person can wander for days without seeing another person, or even a sign of civilization. Cell phones and radios typically do not work well in such locations, and not everyone can afford to carry a personal locator beacon (PLB). The only remaining method of finding someone is by a massive manhunt which occupies much time and manpower. Even then, such searches can only be conducted during the day, perhaps doubling the amount of time it will take to find someone.
Also, there are many sports that require the use of helmets such as football, baseball, bicycle riding, hockey, motor sports, and the like. All of these helmets differ in their overall appearance and function, but share the common goal of protecting the user's head from impact. Different areas of coverage, padding, internal suspension, and even the materials used all share the common goal of providing impact protection. These same protective properties are also important in helmets used in medical, construction, military, and law enforcement activities as well. Manufacturers and researchers are constantly on the lookout for new materials, applications, and processes to enhance the safety properties of their protective helmets.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which a person lost in a wilderness location can easily be located, such as a crash victim or otherwise disabled wearer of the helmet, without the disadvantages as described above. The development of the present invention fulfills this need.